Improvement



2 sheets-sheet 1,

J. H. GILL. GARTRIDGB MACHINE.

N0. 97,904. Patented Dec. 14, 1869.

2 Sheets-.Sheet 2. J. H. GILL. CARTRIDGE MACHINE. No. 97,904. lPatented Deo. 14, 1869.

. lllllllll in'g dis l), which UNITED STA-ras PATENT OFFICE;

JAnnz` H. e1LL,foF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IM PROV'EM ENT IN GARTRI DGE-MACHINES.

Specification' forming part of Letters Patent No. 97,904, dated December 14, 1869.).V

" letters indicating `like parts wherever they occur. v

To enable others sln'lled 'in the art to construct and use my invention, I willproceedto describe it.

vMy invention relates tov machines for the manufacture of cartridgesfor rearms; and

vthe invention consists in so constructing and arranging the various .partsof the mechanism as to charge the cartridge case or shell with powder, insert the'bullet, and crimp the shell' thereon, and deliver the cartridge finished complete, all by one continuous operation, as

:hereinafter more fully explained.

Figure 1 is a top-plan view of my machine with the hopper removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical .transverse section taken `:on the line wzl/'lof 1. Fig. 3 :isa transverse horizontal section taken on the line z z of Fig. 4; and Fig.

'4 isa side elevation, looking from the oppositeside from that on which Fig. 2'is taken.

In constructing my machine, I make a circular frame consisting of -two disks, A and B, united by uprights vor standards G, the operating mechanism being mostly located between the parts A and B, while the operations are performedahove the part' A. The main driving-shaft Gr is located transversely hetwen the parts A and B, as shown in Figs. 2 an 3; v

In the center of the'mach'ine I mount a ver'- 'tical shaft, E, whichy extends up through the part A and carries on its upper end arotathas near its outer edge, a sexies of holes, in which are placed dies o, as represented in Fig. 2, the object of these dies Ibeing to receive the cartridge-shells, and to contract or crimp them' on the balls at the proper time, as hereinafter explained.

Between the part A and the disk D is'a-circular block, A., of a thickness equal to the Alength of the shells, and of a diameter somei there `,being a projecting ledge or iiange, a, around the periphery'ofv this part A', for `the head of the shells to rest on', as shown.

Near one edge of the part A, Iv locate a rotating disk, N, (see Figs. 1, 2, and 4,) which is mounted on a shaft, N2; and in like ymanner,

just above the disk l), at one side, I mountvanother rotating disk, lO, mounted on vand rotated bya shaft, O2, each of these shafts having a pulley secured to their lower ends, as represented inv Figs. 2 and 4'.

0n the horizontal or driving-shaftG, I se cure a bevelgear, K,'near'one end, and this engages with' a similar gear, K', secured to a vertical shaft located directly under the shaft G, and extending down through the part B, belovvf' which 'it has mounted on it two pulleys, from which cords or belts-extend to and drive the shafts v02 and N", as represented bydct'd :linesin Fig. 3. f On this vertical shaft",b elow Vthe gear-wheel K', I place a disk, J, whlchiias lprojecting'. from its-.under 'face a' stud or pin having' on it a friction-roller, b, Fig. 3, which,

as :it rotates, comes in vcontact with an arm, I, pivoted uponthe central shaft E. This arm I has pivoted to it a pawl,.f, which'engages in notches fin the periphery of a ratchet wheel or disk secured rigidly tothe shaft iE, immediately under the-arm, and just above'the part B, as shown lin Figs. 2 and3, so that each revo lution of the ldriving-shaft, 'the arm I, by engag-ing' in the ratchet-wheelk F, gives to the shaft E, and, consequently, to the disk D, a movement forward just equal to the distance from one hole vin the-disk to another, theparts being proportioned to effect this obj ect.

Upon' the back-side yof the part A, `directly opposite fthe disk N, or nearly so, I place a frame'or block, It, (see Figs. land 2,) lon which I mount the hopperR, for holding the powder-,

Athis hopper consisting of a circular :inverte cone Vmade of sheet-brass or any suitable -material. Inside of this hopper I' Alocate a paper funnel, It, which has a tube leading from it to the hole inthe bottom of the hopper,as shown in Fig. 2, the powder being placed iin this paper funnel near-"the top vof the hopper so' that in case of explosion the gases readily escape into the 'air'fabovm and vthus prevent accident to the-machine.

The-'ont part'of R projectsforward over what less than that of D, as shown in Fig. 2,

l the edge of the disk D, and has a hole formed through directly in line with the row of holes in the disk D, so that the latter shall pass under it, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. n f

In the bottom of the hopper R2, I place a slide, c, for shutting oif the -flow, and below that I place a charging slide, d, which has through it a hole of proper size to con-tain the quantity of powder required to fill al shell. This slide r1 is operated. by an elbow-lever, L, actuated by a cam, Q, on the driving-shaft G, as represented in Fig. 2, this cam having on one side two Vsmall projections, a, which impart to the elbowlever, and thereby' to thev slide d, two shakes or slight movementsv as it is being charged from the hopper, so as to insure its vbeing lled, there being also one such projection on the opposite edge of the cam, for

the purpose of giving the slide another shake or vibration as it discharges the powder .into

the shell, so as to besure that all the powder is discharged therefrom. l ,n f

Just beyond the hopper, as shown in Figs. land 4, I locate apost, Y, to which is secured a vb ell, J', the hammer h of. the bell being pivoted to the top of said post. On this post I mount a sliding sleeve, X, having an arm projecting inward, and carrying a rod or plunger,

f t. which has a weight, Cl` secured` to its upper end, said plunger with its weight sliding freely up andldown in said arm.v

In the side of the weight C( nearest the hamm'er'h, I place a spring-pawl, o', as shownv more clearly in Fig. 5, where theweight is shown in section', this pawl o engaging with the proj ecting end of the hammer as the-weight descends,`thus raising the hammer, and if the weight descends far enoughtollet the pawl o slip oft the end of the hammer-lever, the ham- .mer then falls and rings the bell. The disf tance, however, the weight C descends is governed -by-the plunger t, which enters the cartridge-shell until it rests upon Athe powder therein. If, therefore, ythe shell contain the proper quantity of powder, the plunger -t will rest on the top of the powder, and will not let the weight descend far enough tering the bell; but if there bea deficiency of powder in the shell, then the bell 'will be rung, as described.

In order to adjust these parts with the requisite accuracy there is a screw, fu, inserted,

so as to bear against a shoulder on the'pawl o', by..which the latter can 'be adjusted in or out at-pleasure, andy thus cause it to slip oit' theend of the lever of the hammer sooner orl `later, as may be desired.. p l There is also a screw, d, inserted `into the hammer handlel or lever h', in'such a position that as the hammer falls this screw eshall strike upon the shoulder. of. ,the post Y, andthereby arrest its movement. vBy turning this screw cv 1n or out, thehammenmay-besadjustedso as to strike 'with more or less-force,

as nu? be desired.

ion is 'imparted to the slide X, andy thereby to the weight C and plunger t, by a vertical sliding rod, D', which rod is operated by a lever, h, which latter is operated by a cam, Q, on the driving-shaft Gr,- as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

Immediately. beyond the bell4 I locate a strong vertically sliding shaft, M, which stands directly opposite the end of the driving-shaft Gr, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. At the point vopposite the shaft this rod M has formed in it or on it a cam-yoke, M2, in which plays a crank-wrist, r, attached to the shaft Gr, there being in this case a disk with a pin, used instead of a crank, it being ineiect the same as a crank. Upon the upper end of this sliding rod M, -I secure a yoke, V', whichprojects inward over the diskD, in line with the series of holes therein, and this yoke, at its' inner end,carries a plunger, q, which, as the A rod M descends, is forced down into one, of

the holesv in'disk D, which happens to be broughtdirectly `under itr at the time.

As shown in Figs. l. and 2, the rotating `disk O is located so as to carry the bullets u.,

which are placed upon it by an attendant,

around over the hole vin the disk D, and directly under the plunger q, so that as the latter descends it forces the bulletdown through the hole in the diskv into the mouth of thev shell therein.y Y v Directly below the plunger @and in linel by means of' a lever, 4^',which' is actuated by' a cam, V, on shaft Gr, near its end, as represented in- Figs. 3 and 4. ,By this upward movement of the rod U the cartridge. directly over it isforced up into the taperdieo, `which thereby compresses the shell lat its upper end,` and thus secures the bullet iirmly therein.

Just beyond this rod U, I place` a verticallysliding tube, P, for withdrawing the finished eartridgefrom lts die in the disk D. This tube P has an internal diameter sufficient to perl" mit the cartridge to pass down through it, and at its upper end it has one side cut away sufficiently to let vthe cartridge-head enter sidewiseA into it as the cartridge is brought.

around to it by the disk D, the rear side of said tube projecting upward a little, Vand having an inwardlyprojecting vflange. or lip extending around on its inner `face, abouthalf Y or two-thirdsthe diameter of the tube, asl shown in Fig. y4, where'a portion is broken. away for the purpose of more clearly showving this feature.` This tube P has a laterallyprojecting arm, e, at -its lower end, as shown inFigs. 2 and'f4,.the,endl of which arm rests. A

in a vertical groove in the vside of the rod M, as represented in Fig. 2.

As the rod M descends, its shoulder, at the upper end of this groove, strikes the arm e,

and thereby carries the tube P down'vsith it,

Achannel or opening, just below the ledge a,

and place therein a slide, p, as shown in Fig. 2, this slide having one end projecting slightly over the edge of the rotating disk`N, as shown in Fig. 1. This projecting end of the slide p has a projection on one side, thus forming a hook, as shown ih Fig. 1. This slide is so arranged that as the disk N revolves and brings the cartridge-shells w around into the channel formed by the guides p( and t', the hook thereon engages behind the inner shell w, anddraws it over the top of the rod T,

' which is located at that point, as shown in Fig. 2, so that as said rod is raised, as hereinbefore described,it pushes the shell w up into the hole in the disk D, as there shown.

The slide p is operated by a cam, 3, on the driving-shaft Gr, which cam, at the proper time, strikes against a pendent'arm,l, (shown in Fig. 2,) the slide being pushed out by the cam, and drawn back by a spring. (Not shown.) The mechanism and devices thus constructed are, of course, so timed in their various movements as to co-operate and bring each part into the required position and make it perform its movement at the proper instant.

Y As all the parts except the disks N and O are operated by pawls or "cams, all except them move intermittently. Th'ose parts N and O, being driven by cords or belts, ofv course have a regular and continuous movement.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Motion being imparted to it by hand or other power, as preferred, an attendant with one hand sets the cartridge-shells w on the disk N. This carries the shells around into the channel, as above described, where the hook on slide p draws them over the rod T, which pushes them up into the holes in disk D, which then moves forward, carrying the head of the cartridge'over the ledge a, which keeps them from falling out. As the disk D rotates, the shells are carried around in front of the hopper, where they are successively supplied with the powder by the slide d, from whence they pass under the testing-plunger t, which gives notice of any deficiency in quantity by ringing the bell. From thence they pass around under the plunger q, which shoves a bullet down into the open mouth .cf the shell, the bullets being placed on lthe disk O by the attendants other hand, or by another operative, as preferred. As the plunger g rises, the rod U underneath rises also, and pushes the cartridge up into the smaller part of the vdie o, which thus compresses it tightly upon the bullet.

The next movement of the-.disk D -carries the head of .the cartridge into the mouth of tube P, which pullsv the cartridge out of the die and delivers it completed, so far 'as the operations of filling it with powder, testing it, putting in the bullet, and fastening it in are concerned.

It will thus be seen that I produce a very perfect, compact, and automatically-operating machine, which performs the various operation's described in an expeditious and perfect manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-, V

1. vThe combination of the rotating disk N, slide p, and rod T, for feeding the shells into the carrier-disk D, said parts being arranged to Voperate substantially as described.

.2. The combination of a carrier-disk, D, and

the reciprocating powder charger or slide d, ar` lranged to operate as set forth. l

3. The combination ofthe carrier-disk D and thetesting-plunger t, arranged to operate as s et forth.

4. The combination of the carrier-disk D,

provided with the dies o, the rotating disk O,

and the bullet-plungerq, all arranged to operate as set forth.

5. The combination of the carrier-disk D, provided with taper or crimping. dies o, and the sliding rod U, for fastening the bullets in the shells, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the disk D and the tube P, constructed and arranged to operate as described, for withdrawing the cartridges, as set forth.

7. The cam Q, provided with'the projections a, arranged to operate the powder-slide d and impart thereto the vibratory movements, sub stantiall'yas described.

8. The combination of the sliding plunger t and its weight G, having the spring-pawl o' attached, with the pivot-ed hammer h. and bell J', when arranged to operate as herein described.

9. The combination, in acartridge-machine, of a carrier-disk', D, a powder charging and. testing apparatus, a bullet feeding and pressing device, a crimping device, and a withdrawing apparatus, when the saidseveral parts are 4constructed and arranged to operate substan-A tially in the manner herein set forth.

JABEZ H. GILL. Witnesses;

J. H. CoMLY, (Enns. C. CRAM; 

